Elevator gate



Nov. 14, 1933. o. LlNDsTRoM ET AL 1,934,857

` ELEVATOR GATE 3 Sheeibs--SheefI l` Filed sept. 29, 192e Ulli. e ./l

ATTORNEY;

Nov. 14, 1933. N. o. LlNDsTRoM ET-AL V 1,934,857

ELEVATOR GATE Filed Sept. 29, l1,926 3 Sheets-#Sheet 2 mlm;-

"'I n 'BY A TTORNEYJ.'

Nov. 1 4, 1933 N. o. LINDsTRoM r-:r AL 1,934,867

ELEVATOR GATE Filed Sept. 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEY.

Patented! Nov., 14, 1933 PATENT OFFICE ELVATGR GATE Nils 0. Lindstrom,Nutley, and Carl F. E. Olofson,

West Orange, N. Ji., assgnors to A. E. See Elevater Company, inc., acorporation of Delairl Ware Application September 29, i926 Serial No.lyi

10 Claims.

Our invention relates' to gates for elevator cars and particularly tomeans for the automatic operation thereof.

An object oi our invention is to provide power 5 actuated means for theoperation of an elevator car gate or door.

Another object oi our invention is to provide means for the remotecontrolled operation oi an elevator ear gate.

Another object of our invention is to provide means to prevent anautomatic elevator being held out of operative condition by failure of apassenger to close the elevator car gate.

In the development of the manufacture of l5 elevators, it has been foundconvenient to provide elevator devices of certain types, particularlythose adapted for installation in the smaller type of apartmentbuildings and for other service where an attendant continually on dutyis undesirable, in combination with elaborate electric controllingsystem, involving push buttons and contacter devices, such that all ofthe movements of the elevator car are controlled by push buttons. Thatis, a passenger arriving at an elevator shaft door pushes a button atthe door, and energizes the mechanism, which brings the elevator to thatdoor and releases locks so that the passenger isable to open the doorand enter the car. He then pushes a button in the car and the contactormechanism energizes the hoisting machinery and the elevator car is movedto the chosen floor. The

' lack of an attendant on such elevators necessitates the utmost care inthe provision of safety appliances. Not only must all the shaft doorwaysbe provided with doors and means for locking the door either before thecar can be moved from that floor or operable by such movement, but thecar itself must be provided with a safety gate, or door, to be closedbefore the car can be moved.

It has however been found by experience that a requirement of manualclosing of doors and gates by a passenger is'objectionable. The shaftdoors are readily equipped .with spring hinges which will cause them toclose and lock, thereby v freeing the electric interlock on them.Difficulty has however been experienced in vinsuring the closing of thecar gate, after a passenger leaves it,

in order that the car gate interlock may be freed, and that the caritself then may be vfree to move to another oor upon signale! apassenger at a different oor. This diillculty has tended to delay theoperation of automatic elevators, and to make them less satisfactorythan they should be. Our invention provides means for the automaticactuation of the elevator car-gate upon signalby a passenger, thusinsuring that in the event that the car gate is left open by a departingpassenger, signal by another passenger will energize mechanism forclosing the car gate, thereby freeing the car gate interlock andallowing the car to move to the desired floor. Our invention furtherleaves the gate free for ordinary opening and closing by hand in theusual way, and provision is made, such that the pull upon the gate isnot so great as to injure a passenger, if he is not out of the way ofthe gate, when the automatic feature is in operation.

Other objects and structural details of our invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a view in vertical embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section of the embodiment of Figure 1 atthe lines 2 2,

Figure 3 is a rudimentary diagram of the electric circuits of myinvention, and

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the control circuits used in oneembodiment of my invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we show a typical 80 elevator car having aoor l, upright members 2, and cross members (not shown) to which thehoisting cables (not shown) are attached. We further provide a crossmember 3 between the uprights 2, upon which is carried a lattice workgate 4 or other suitable door. The lattice work gate 4 may convenientlyhave a leading edge member 5 with a trolley wheel 6 to carry the weightof the gate, and insure easy movement between open and closed positions.It may also conveniently have an auxiliary trolley wheel support 7 tocarry a portion of the weight and to facilitate movements still further.The gate 4 is adapted to be traversed across the car door into theclosed position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 1.

We have further provided gate actuating mechanism consisting of a chainand sprocket wheels 9 and 11'. The chain 8 is attached at its 100 endsto a bracket member 12, cooperating with upper end of the gate edgemember 5. The sprockets 9 and 11 vare mounted upon a cross member 14which may conveniently be fastened to the uprights 2. One or both of thesprockets 9 and 11 may conveniently be made adjustable by means of aslotted journal frame 15, as shown in Figure 1, to take up any slack inthe chain.

An actuating motor 16 is conveniently mounted upon other crossmembers'll and 18, and the llo elevation of an ,chain 8 is carried overa sprocket 19 upon the shaft of the motor 16.

Agate switch 21 is provided and, preferably, adjustably mounted upon thecross member 14.

f8; A cam roller 22 is mounted upon an extension from the bracket 12 andadapted to engage with the switch actuating bars 23 and 24, when thegate is drawn to its closed position. 1

Suitable energizing means which may suitabl be apart of the main-controlcontactor mechanism, are provided for supplying energy to the motor 16.These means are preferably designed in such way that the action of apush button, either at any of the elevator shaft doors, or in the car,will cause the closing of a circuit to the motor 16, which will bemaintained until the engagement of the cam roller 22 with the switch bar23 causes the opening oi' such circuit. This circuit is shown in arudimentary form in Figure 3 in which the motor 16 is shown as in serieswith the gate switch 21, a source of energy 25, and push buttons 26.

A detailed, though somewhat incomplete, diagram cf the electricalcircuits is shown in Figure 4, which for the sake of simplicity andclearness shows an automatic elevator system involving only two floorsor landings and omits the electrical control within the car, thehoisting motor and its connections from reversing switches and variousother circuits well known and in common use.

Referring to such diagram, the source of current is the main line wires27 and 28. Two push buttons 26 and 26" are shown, one for each iioor.Since there are only two floors each push button will cause the elevatorto move in only one direction. In case the system includes more than twolandings a floor selecting device (not shown, but well known) willbe'connected to the various push buttons in order to enable each pushbutton to bring the elevator car to its landing, no

matter where it may be positioned in the shaft;

that is, the car will sometimes be moved upward and sometimes downwardby a single push 4button in order to bring it to the floor controlled bysuch push button, as when the push button is on a iioor intermediate thetop and bottom floors or landings. In any case the elevator gate will beautomatically brought to a closed position by closing of the push buttoncircuit before the hoisting motor is operated, as will be now described.

There is a relay for each push button, its energizing coil being in acircuit closed thereby. As shown, the relay 29 will upon movement ofpush button 26 be energized by a circuit as follows: from line wire 27through wires 32, 31, 30, relay coil 29, wire 33, relay arm 34,contact-.35, wire 36, push button 26', wires 37 and 38, contact 39, arm40, and wires 4l and'42 to line wire 28. The relay 29 vis therebyenergized and the conducting arms 43 and 44 thrown to the left wherebythe circuit through the push button 26 is opened at 35 and a circuitclosed as follows: from line wire 27 to arm 34 as before, thence througharms 44, 43, and 45, wire 46, up limit switch 47, wire 48, contact 49 ofdown reversing switch R, resistance 50, wires 51 and 52, relay coil 53and wires 54 and 42 to line wire 28. f

' The energizing of relay coil 53.causes the conducting arms 55 and 56to be thrown to the left, separating arm 40 from contact 39 and therebymaking it impossible to close a circuit through either of the pushbuttons 26 and 26". Furthermore the contacting of arm 56 with arm 57causes the closing of a circuit from wire 51 through wire 58, relay coil59, wire 60, contact 61, arm 62, wires 63 and 64, shaftway door switches65 and 66, wire 67, arms 57, 56, 55, and 40 and wires 41 and 42 to linewire 28.

The energizing of relay coil 59 causes the conducting arms 68 and 69 tobe thrown to the left and a circuit to be closed as follows: from linewire 27 through wires 32 and 70, series eld windings 71 of gate motor16, lead 72, motor armature and lead 73, part of the current beingshunted through resistance 74, thence through resistance 75, wire 76,arms 77, 69, 68 and 78, wire 79, contact 80, arm 81, wire 82, arm 83,contact 84, wires 85 and 42 to line wire 28. The motor 16 also has ashunt field winding 86 connected across from wire to arm 68, as shown.

The result of the closing of the circuits Just described is the startingof the gate motor 16 which causes the traversing of the elevator cargate from its open position as shown in Fig. 1, toward the left untilroller 22 engages arm 23 of switch 21 and thereby causes the opening ofthe circuit throughthe gate motor 16 by means which will be nowdescribed.

Whenever the elevator gate is open, the gate switch 21 will be open asshown in Fig. 4, but upon actuation of arm 23 Fig. 1 by roller 22contacts will be engaged and a circuit thereby established as follows:from line wire 27 as before to wire 51, thence through wire 87, relaycoil 88, Wire 89, contacts 90, 91 and 92 of gate switch 21, wires 93,64, door switches 65 and 66, Wire 67, arms 57, 56, 55 and 40, and wires41 and 42 to line wire 28. 'I'he effect of the energizing of the relaycoil 88 is to throw the arms 94 and 96 to the left thus causing theopening of the gate motor circuit at and 84 and stopping the gate motor.The arm 95 is also thrown to the left, thereby separating 62 and 61,deenergizing relay 59 and opening the gate motor circuit at 68 and 69.

The arm 95 by contacting with the arm 62 closes a circuit as follows:from line wire 27 to contact 49 of down reversing switch R as before,thence through wire 97, coil 98 of up reversing switch R', wire 99, coil100 of potential switch or circuit breaking switch, wire 101, arms 95and 62,

wires 63 and 64, and through door switches 65 and 66, as before, to linewire 28. The effect of the closing of such circuit is the closing by thereversing switch R of the hoisting motor circuit (not shown) therebycausing the motor to raise the elevator from its lower to its upperposition level with 'the landing upon which push button 28' is situated.As it reaches said landing it causes by well known means the opening ofthe up limit switch 47 and thereby opens the hoisting motor circuit andstops the elevator car; it also causes the deenergizing of the relaycoils 29, 53 and 88 and the restoring` of the various parts to theiroriginal positions.

The circuits controlled by push button 26 are similar in all respects tothose described in Aconnection with push button 26I and the/operation isthe same except that thereversing switch R `will so connect the hoistingmotor as to cause the elevator car to descenduntil it reaches thelanding upon which push button'26 is located, at which time the elevatorcar causes the opening of the down limit switch 102, stops the hoistingmotor, and restores the various relays 29, 53 and 88 to their originalpositions.

In the operation of the mechanism of our invention, a passenger maysignal for the car by pushing any of the buttons 2,6, shown in Figureu55 therewith and actuated by the closure `of said n gate, poweractuated me 3, or 26', 26", Figure 4. The closing of the push buttonwill cause the energization of the control mechanism of the elevator andif the elevator gate, as well as all of the shaitway doors, are closedand their electrical interlocks freed, the car will proceed to thedesired floor. In the event, however, that the car gate is open when thebutton is pushed, the interlock on it prevents the, elevator mechanismfrom functioning. Contacter means for example 29, Figure 4, are thenactuated by the button 26', and cause the closing of a suitable circuitfrom the source of electrical energy 2 7, 28 through the motor 16. Themotor thereupon revolves and traverses the chain 8 over its sprocket,thereby drawing the gate edge member 5 toward its closed position andclosing the gate, until the circuit of the motor l6`is opened by theaction of the gate switch 2l. The closing of the gate 4 and theactuation of the gate switch 21 frees the electrical interlock on thecar, andthe contactor mechanism is then in condition to energize theelevator motor and move the car to the desired iioor.

It isunderstood of lcourse that holding contactors are provided forkeeping the circuit of motor 16 closed untill the gate'switch 21 isactuated, in order thatv itmay not be necessaryforv the passenger topress any of the buttons 26 or 26' and 26", Figure 4, continuously untilthe gate is closed. Such holding contactors are however part of theelectrical art and the application thereof is well known to thoseskilled in that art. They are preferably made an integral part of the'automatic control mechanism system, and the design will vary accordingto the conditions 'of the installation in a fashion which is understoodby those skilled in the art.

By these means we are enabled to provide an automatically actuatedelevator car gate, adapted for cooperation with the mechanism of a pushbutton controlled elevator system for the. automatic closure of theelevator car gate, and the prevention thereby of a blocking of theelevator through a passengers carelessness, andthe con sequent holdingout of service.

While we have shown but a single embodiment of our invention in theaccompanying description, it is capable of various modificationstherefrom without departing from ,the spirit thereof '50 .and it isdesired therefore, um muy such limitations shall be imposed thereon asare required by the prior art or indicated bythe appended claims.

We claim as our invention: 1. In combination, an elevator car, a gate incombination therewith, a gate switch cooperating ns for closing saidgate, and push buttonmeans for controlling the movementsofsaidelevatoncar, automatic mechanism actuated by said pushV buttons foroperating said car, means in sai/d electric mechanism for restrainingthe operation of the car until said gate switch is actuated,` and meanscooperating with for moving said gate, and

said push buttons for energizing said gate closing means when said gateswitch is not actuated.

` 2. In combination, an elevator car, a. gate cooperating therewith, agate switch actuated thereby, a plurality of push buttons, and anelectric motor for operating said gate under the joint control of saidgate switch and said psh buttons.

3. In combination, an elevator mechanism for moving an elevator car, agate on said car, a remote control of the push button type for closingsaid gate and causing the actuation of said elevator mechanism.

4. In an automatic elevator system, a car, a gate on said car, means forclosing said gate, means for moving saidcar, and means common to saidgate and said car moving nleans, away from said car for electricallycontrolling the closing of the gate and the movement of the'car.

5. In an automatic elevator system, a car, a gate on said car, means forclosing said gate and moving said car, and a plurality of push buttonmeans at diierent landings for automatically controlling the closing ofthe gate and the movement of the car. i

6. In an elevator system, a car, electrical means for moving the same, agate on said car, electrical means for closing said gate, and means awayfrom said car for causing the energizing of said electrical means toclose said gate and move said car.

7. In an elevator system, a car, means for moving the same, agate onsaid car, electrical means for moving said gate, control means thereforaway from the car, and means actuated by the movement of said gate fordeenergizing the gate moving means.

8. In an elevator system, a car, means for movmg the same, a gate onsaid car, electrical means means actuated by the movement of said gate/f/or deenergizing the gate moving means and fori/energizing said carmoving means.

9. In an automatic elevator, the combination with a holst motor circuitincluding switching de vices for energizing and de-energizing the hoistmotor for operating the hoist motor for moving theelevator cage topredetermined levels, of a gate lfor said cage, a motor for closing saidgate, and an electrical circuit for energizing the motor y to close thegate controlled by ssaid'hoist motor switching devices.

10. In an automatic elevator, the combination with a hoist motorcircuit, including switching devices for energizing or de-energizing thehoist motor for operating the hoist motor for moving means for operatingsaid swritch controlledby 35 said hoist motor circuit.

. vNHS O. LINDSTROM.

CARL F. E. OLOFSON.

